Botcha: We will win back Seemandhra people

“Efforts will be made to convey the message that package for the region is due to our leaders’ efforts”

Admitting that the Congress party was on the back-foot in Seemandhra after division of the State, Pradesh Congress Committee president Botcha Satyanarayana has said that senior leaders would now go all out to convince the aggrieved people about the special package for all round development of the residuary Andhra Pradesh.

The onus of taking the decisions of the Centre to the people now lies with the State Congress leaders, who will take the lead and work hard. “Although it will be a Herculean task, party seniors will make efforts to reach out to the people and highlight the package given to the region,” he noted. He said never in the history had the Union Government announced a massive package for a State that was being divided.

In an interview to The Hindu on Saturday, Mr. Satyanarayana spoke at length about the party’s position in Seemandhra after bifurcation, action plan to revive the party’s fortunes, impact of proposed new party by former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Pointing out that bifurcation had angered people, the PCC chief said it was a tough decision for the Congress too. “The decision became inevitable,” Mr. Satyanarayana said adding that two days before the AP Reorganisation Bill 2014 was taken up in the Lok Sabha, a large delegation of Seemandhra leaders, including Union Ministers, had met the high command and tried to seek a fair deal for the region. “We raised six issues of which four were conceded and demand for making Hyderabad as Union Territory and merging Kurnool and Anantapur in Telangana were turned down,” he said.

Defectors

Asked about defections, he said only those leaders, who had vested interests were ditching the Congress. “On the eve of elections, it is a general phenomenon. We had already drawn a list of Ministers and MLAs, who were planning to quit the Congress. There could be few more leaders,” he said.

He refused to comment on proposed new party of Kiran Kumar Reddy but faulted him for defying the high command on the bifurcation issue. “We had insisted that all the Ministers and MLAs should have resigned to put pressure on the Centre. What is the use of resigning now after the entire process is completed,” he remarked.

To a question, he said it was the Congress party alone that gave due recognition to the weaker sections and the backward classes in term of position.

On President’s Rule

On President’s Rule, the PCC chief said had the State Congress leaders convinced the high command earlier about formation of a new Government, President’s Rule would not have been imposed. “We did have the numbers to form the Government. But we did not put the right efforts for installation of a popular Government,” the PCC chief said when asked why the Centre preferred to go for President’s Rule.

AP Governor says peace, order top on priority

With President’s rule being imposed in Andhra Pradesh, Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on Sunday asserted that maintenance of public peace and order would be top priority for him.

He said that normal life would go on as usual when President’s rule is in force and investor confidence will be held high.

“My topmost priority would be maintenance of public peace and order... everything else follows on if there is peace and order,” he told reporters in his maiden press conference here, a day after President’s rule was imposed.

He said all the development programmes would be carried on uninterrupted and the bureaucracy is expected to ensure that the fruits of development reach the last man.

He also plans to undertake visits to the districts.

The investor confidence would be maintained at a high level to ensure that Andhra Pradesh remains a favourite destination for investments, the Governor said.

“In the last four years, questions that have been raised by anybody who came to meet me was ‘Sir, how safe it is to invest in Andhra Pradesh?’ ‘Will the state be bifurcated or not?’ This one question has been raised again and again. Now that the event has happened, we know exactly what is in store for us.

“I think we will ensure that investor confidence is maintained high. Unless the investments come, our development is going to suffer. We would like to keep the investor confidence at a very, very high level. We will be talking to investors also and tell them that Andhra Pradesh is a very secure destination for investments. This is actually a ‘Swarnabhoomi’,” he said.

Replying to a query, he said 15 sub-committees have been formed to go into various aspects of state’s bifurcation and those panels would coordinate with the committees set up at the Central level.

There would be an apex committee and he would go into all aspects and try to satisfy the aspirations of the people, Mr. Narasimhan said.

Asked if he would conduct any ‘Janata Darbar’ to listen to the grievances of the people, he said he would consider the idea.

Replying to a question about the extension given to Chief Secretary P.K. Mohanty, to which some senior bureaucrats reportedly took exception, he said various aspects have been taken into consideration in the decision to give extension of tenure to the CS.

Observing that education, particularly higher education, would be a focus area for him, he said steps would be taken to ensure that quality of education is maintained and quality manpower is turned out.

Health care, especially provision of medical care in rural areas by equipping government hospitals, would be another focus area, he said.

He stressed on making health care affordable to the people, saying if possible uniform charges would be maintained across the state so that people know how much to spend.

Agriculture, the mainstay of state’s economy, would get due attention, the Governor said.

AP CM.Kiran to hold strategy meet today on launch of new party

Hints at launching new party only after holding more consultations

Amid talk of dwindling support and close aides looking at other political parties for their future, former Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy is holding a crucial closed door meeting with expelled Congress MPs in the here on Sunday to discuss about launch of the new party.

Initially it was billed as a crucial meeting where Mr. Reddy was expected to announce his future political plans and chalk out future course of action. But, now he has restricted the meeting to the expelled MPs and those who have resigned from the party. A few former Ministers considered close to him are said to be invited to attend the meeting at a private building in Madhapur.

Sources said no significant announcement is expected from Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy as he hinted that more consultations were needed before any formally announcement about the launch of the new political party is made. “Mr. Reddy will take the views of his supporters more particularly, the MPs, who have been backing him all through his struggle against bifurcation of the State,” a close aide told The Hindu on Saturday.

Numbers

His meeting assumes significance for the fact that it would give a clear indication on number of former Ministers, MPs and legislators sailing with him.

Though, his camp has been claiming that over a dozen Ministers and as many as 50 MLAs would join his new party, situation appears to be the other way round.

Former Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, who has been sailing with him, has dropped hints that he would join the TDP along with at least five Congress MLAs.

So is the case with former Ministers –Erasu Pratap Reddy, T.G.Venkatesh and K. Parthasarathy who have quit the Congress but are not coming out openly whether they would join hand with Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy. A number of MLAs, who were seen with him on the day of the resignation have not come back again. Against this background, it is understood that he may not make any announcement about the new party. As of now former Minister Pithani Satyanarayana has come out openly in his support and said he would join the new party.

Diwakar to resign

Former Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy, while launching a scathing attack on AICC president Sonia Gandhi for dividing the State against the wishes of Seemandhra people, said he would resign from the party immediately. He was non-committal whether he would join Mr. Reddy’s party.